Transport and mobility systems play a critical role in enabling participation in play, active recreation and sport. As travel patterns, infrastructure and costs change, the ways people access sport - and who can participate - may also shift.

This futures report explores a range of mobility‑driven scenarios, including periods of disruption and constraint, and considers how the sport and recreation system might respond. It highlights potential impacts on participation, events, facilities and equity, and identifies emerging opportunities for more local, flexible and digitally enabled forms of play.

What the report covers:

• How restricted or unreliable travel could reduce long‑distance competition and increase local participation.
• The growing role of informal, community‑led and neighbourhood sport.
• Equity risks as transport costs and access barriers rise.
• Practical signals and actions to help organisations adapt and build resilience.

Purpose:
The report is designed to support strategic conversations across the sector. Rather than predicting a single outcome, it provides a framework for thinking differently about access, inclusion and sustainability in a rapidly changing mobility environment.

Moving Forward Futures Report 2026

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